Around 68pc of the British population have lived in rented accommodation at some point in their lives, occupying rented homes for an average of 11.6 years - according to a new survey.

The report from the specialist buy-to-let lender, Paragon Mortgages, provides a snapshot of how people's choice of accommodation has changed over the years.

John Heron, managing director of Paragon Mortgages, said: "This demonstrates that renting is not a minority practice, but rather one that most people do at some point in their lives, and in many cases for long periods of time. Over a third of people have lived in rented accommodation for more than five years, and 21pc for more than 10 years."

For older people, the average length of time spent in rented homes is longer. The over 65 age bracket, for example, has lived in rented homes for an average of almost 23 years.

Even among the under 35s, the average time spent in rented accommodation is more than four years, and 62pc have lived in rented homes at some point. The proportion of people who have never lived in rented accommodation is higher among younger age groups, but renting is very common among all ages.